If you’re the type of person who has an analytical mind, you know you have to find an outlet for it – a recreational space to grow, strategize, calculate, process, challenge, solve. You can probably think of a number of expected places to find analytical minds at work – like in an office making sense of statistical data, in marketing coming up with a sales strategy or in a courtroom planning your retort to your defendant’s testimony.
What you might not expect? Ballroom dancing offers a hotbed of opportunity for the analytical mind to thrive.
Jessica of Arthur Murray Royal Oak talks about why that is. “Dance is great for problem solving. You have to be aware of your own movements and your partner’s as they relate to the music. When the music slows down with the tempo and timing in between notes, you have to figure out which moves work best and in which direction.” Without that analytical part of your mind firing, dancers will find themselves in uncomfortable positions. “You need to calculate when you’re raising your hand, when the lady is turning, where your partner’s weight is and when the dance is changing direction or you could be knocked off balance.”
By no coincidence, the analytical side of dance is also the reason ballroom dance is used to stave off the symptoms of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. With your mind constantly adjusting for what’s next, we slow the ability for the disease to advance. “Your brain is working a lot between leading and following and putting moves together that are also musical. At the same time, you have to consider dancing with your heart – you don’t want to dance robotically,” says Jessica. But before we worry about getting overwhelmed, Jessica assures, “You’re focusing on only one thing at a time, so you can find success. And most importantly, your teacher will guide you to help you know when to focus on what.”
Do you have analytical mind? Do you love problem solving, puzzles, and thinking on your toes? (Pun fairly intended.) New mind-and-body challenges will transform you into a fresh analytical force to be reckoned with. Call us and let’s get you in for a free introductory lesson.